March 4th morning, Zhejiang province Wenling city Xinhe Middle School sports field, a local entrepreneur holds a funeral for his mother. Parked on the sports field are a large amount of luxury cars, and there were 20 music bands alone. The site was covered with carpeting, there were thousands of flower wreaths, even cannons for gun salutes, and 8 cameras alone for filming. The relatives and company employees who came to pay their condolences numbered several thousand, and after adding the onlooking crowds, there were more than ten thousand people. It was revealed the the cost of the entire funeral was around 5 million, arguably the most grand funeral in the history of Wenling city. The passing of the funeral procession caused traffic jams.

March 4th, in Wenling of Zhejiang province, a local entrepreneur held an extravagant funeral for his mother. The site of the memorial ceremony had carpeting laid down, thousands of floral wreaths, and many luxury cars parked. The number of relatives and company employees who came to express their condolences numbered in the thousands. and when combined with the crowds of onlookers, the total people numbered in the tens of thousands. It was revealed the the funeral costs reached around 5 million [RMB].

Crowds of people at the site of the memorial ceremony.

The Lincoln stretched limousines and 16 cannons for the gun salutes.

Many luxury cars parked at the site.

The stretched Lincoln limousines at parked on the Wenling city Xinhe Middle School large sports field.

Two LCD display vehicles broadcasting images of the deceased before her death.

Is this necessary? So extravagant and wasteful, wouldn’t it be better to just let the old person peacefully depart? Wouldn’t using this 5 million RMB to establish a fund to help even more people be even better thing to do for the old person?

网易山东省枣庄市市中区网友:

Typical nouveau riche, your decline [downfall] is not far now.

网易重庆市网友:

The saddest thing in life is to die before spending all your money.

网易山东省济南市网友:

A filial son, deserving of praise.

网易江苏省苏州市网友:

Faint, how is him earning money to spend on his mother reason for you guys to be so hostile?Project Hope schools. Project Hope schools are the responsibility of everyone, regardless of whether you have money or not, everyone can go assist in building Project Hop schools, but have you helped before?Moreover, how do you know him spending money on his mother’s funeral procession means they haven’t contributed to society before, or is all the money they earn only allowed to be spend building Project Hope schools, to be donated out? If so, may I ask how many people will still be willing to go make money, unable to spend the money they themselves earn? If it were you, what would you do? Not have a funeral for your mother, and instead go build Project Hope schools? It is simply not logical, yet you guys insist on mixing the two together. How people who have money spend their money is their business. If you have the heart, you can donate your wages every month, 10% shouldn’t be too much.

网易浙江省杭州市网友:

According to your logic, if Bill Gates died, should the United Nations conference room be booked for the funeral?

网易福建省宁德市网友:

Spend money when you have it, otherwise a few years later it will become waste paper.

网易广东省东莞市网友:

I don’t have to look to know that this was done by some lousy Zhejiang person!Couldn’t you guys do something good, something useful?Zhejiang people are now notorious internationally, truly shameless and selfish to the extreme!You guys extort the wealth of the people of the interior to go abroad to do business only to lose money. The face of and the reputations of the country’s people have all been tarnished by you people…..You guys can say I hate the rich, but what I hate are you blood-suckers who outrageously waste the wealth that you have swindled!May the entire family of whoever deletes this comment all suddenly die tonight!

网易浙江省杭州市手机网友:

You who TMD don’t have the ability to give your mother a grand funeral, what the hell are you screaming about here?! What swindling?! Zhejiang people are well-known for being smart and business-minded! Even if it is swindling, you can choose not to choose Zhejiang products! If you were cheated, then it can only be said you were stupid/foolish! For being so easily cheated! One Zhejiang person doesn’t represent all Zhejiang people! I’m a Zhejiang person! But I too don’t approve of what that entrepreneur did! And what the hell is cursing the entire family of whoever deletes your comment to all suddenly die?! Aren’t you more disgusting that the blood-suckers you mentioned?! I despise disgusting people like you!

What do you think about this funeral? Is it “wrong”? Is it “admirable”? Or is it none of your business?

Back to topic. I hope this entrepreneur was as good to his mother when she was alive. Things like this after they die are completely useless. Might as well have built a Project Hope elementary school in the name of the mom.

vince

yeah gotta agree with you, he could have put the money to better use, not saying he shouldn’t have a decent funeral but this was definitely a bit extreme. Maybe he was compensating for something? Anyway those reasons are unknown and the money is his so he’s entitled to do whatever he feels.

also i know what the song is about, but i like the title someone could recommend more appropriate songs ^^

darkandlovelykissedbythe

Mama Used to Say

By Junior

Kedafu where you at?

Can I share that sofa with you Vince? Promise I won’t act like Rick Jane, but I will act like one of the Mary Jane girls.

darkandlovelykissedbythe

I meant to say Rick James. My bad!

vince

Sure this sofa is big enough, sharing is caring, lol.

kissmyass

get a room guys!!! hahaha

http://www.facebook.com/kedafu Kedafu

I will buy that for 50c!

good choice

because…… Seasons dont fear the reaper, nor do the sun the wind and the rain….. we can me like they are…..

五毛党

KT

Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult

FYIADragoon

People from Zhejiang are the new swindlers of China.

GreenTea

wow vince keep samefaging up the comment section more.

Chris N.

Hello,
Oh sorry, did I barge in on vince’s chatroom?

But seriously, this is such a joke. I mean what was the son thinking as he was planning this?

“Hey maybe you should have a marching band, that will be real swell”
“No, make it 5…no…20 marching bands, yeah that sounds real good. And rent out a luxury limo to carry her casket. Wait, scratch that. Make it 5 limo’s and a dozen or so regular black cars, plus those dinky trucks to carry the flower wheels”
“but.. dont you think thats a bit excessive?”
“oh and get some people wearing light blue jackets to carry giant dusters, yeah, that’ll be great. and invite my mother’s 10,000 closest friends and their relatives and THEIR relatives”
“How about some guns for a gun salute”
“hmm, yes, but i think we need like 8 fuckin’ cannons. yeah that just might do the trick”
“what about food for all the guests?”
“no, no food. what do you think i’m made of money? oh and get some massive LCD screens on trucks and get people to stand around them looking like they care. yeah. i can see it now. don’t forget the cameras. i can’t wait to watch my mother’s funeral in high definition again and again”

I just don’t know why anyone would want to hold such a big event. I think the thousands of people in attendance takes the emotional aspect away from the funeral. Certainly all those people couldn’t care so dearly for this guy’s mother.

Alikese

Trickle down economics, baby! I’m sure the florists and limo drivers in town were happy this guy’s mom kicked the bucket.

I think this stunt is as much about him showing everyone how rich and awesome he is as it is about paying respect to his mom. But it’s his money and if he wants to have a huge dumb funeral or burn it for warmthhe can.

bando

Not that I am against people having funerals to send off their loved one, but a funeral so big that it interferes with the daily routine of everyone? Did she really touched the lives of everyone in the city?

I don’t know her personally nor is she closely related to me so therefore i have no incentives to pay my respects. Please clear your motorcade cos im late for work. Also consider different, more useful ways of spending money for your departed loved ones.

http://moominhouse.blogspot,com moom

It does seem over the top when instead he could donate the money to a school or hospital say to build a building in her name or set up a scholarship fund in her name and all kinds of other things that would commemorate her and be more useful. But I guess people in this city will remember her for a long time after this ceremony. But maybe not in a good way?

DRaY

I have said it before and I will say it again… GHETTO!!!!! Some Chinese people are super GHETTO!!!! Tacky!! Couldn’t he have done something philanthropic in her name?

Rick in China

From the images, it seems like a lot of cash for the low quality of funeral. Some old stretch limos covered in flowers in a ghetto field, WOOT WOOT.

It’s much more interesting to pay to have your ashes turned into a diamond, in my opinion, or multiple diamonds for your loved ones.

If we’re simply looking at this from a cost perspective, it’s not that expensive compared to some famous or lavish funerals. It’s certainly not news worthy. Even recently, Reagan’s funeral cost like….400 MILLION USD? 5 million rmb? Most celebrity funerals cost a million plus depending if they do some silly shit like cover their casket in gems. If you’ve got the money, make it nice..5 million RMB is only the cost of an apartment in Beijing. Personally, I’d be just as happy having my corpse thrown into a river full of crocs and video that shit for youtube entertainment.

cdn icehole

Regardless if you liked Reagan or not, he was a leader of the most powerful nation in human history where his policies affected the World. I wonder how extravagant Jimmy’s funeral will be.

vince

@ Green Tea, Chris. N sorry about that i think finally getting the sofa went to my head.
Also I have a couple of theories about why he held such an extreme funeral for his mum. The guy is an entrepreneur and he probably knew full well that holding such an extravagant funeral would attract the attention of the media, his 15 minutes so to speak.
This would undoubtely increase background searches and so on, therefore his business or whatever he is involved in might receive a boost as a result.
Another theory is much more simple, it’s just a pissing contest. I wonder if he has started a trend that other rich folk might follow, where the funerals get bigger and more extravagant.

guizi

I too thought this is for his business. When I saw this article, I remembered seeing a big birthday party held for a Chinese CEO on TV. At that time I had an idea that birthday parties are for children. But the TV reporter explained that in China human connections is very important and the party is a place to meet other people. From this perspective, the party should be bigger.

Curren$y

There is nothing wrong with spending 5 million of your legally earned yuan on a funeral. Most of the 5 million probably went directly into the local economy (labourers, florists, musicians, drivers, etc.) People criticize this funeral as a waste of money when it is simply not true. A waste of money is when you burn the money instead of investing it in the economy.

staylost

He must have killed her and now he feels guilty. The funeral won’t help though. She is going to come back as a ghost and torment him. If anyone can flesh search him and let me know his name, I am in Zhejiang and can come use my gifts to prevent him from killing himself from her torture of his soul.

-staylost
spiritual expert and consultant
expert in ghosts and haunting
you only pay with results* (cost of candles must be paid beforehand)

kay

so 5 mil rmb equals about $750,000 US? for a an average citizen to spend seems like a lot of money to me…. hope there was good food .

dilladonuts

You silly white boys make the dumbest comments. It’s always funny how much you guys hate seeing Chinese have money. Jealousy is a bitch ain’t it?

cdn icehole

What do you think about this funeral? Is it “wrong”? Is it “admirable”? Or is it none of your business?

The guy can do whatever he wants with his money. If he wants to spend it on hookers and blow, all the power to him.

However, I’m surprised by the Chinese comments. Isn’t it a custom that the older you were, the more extravagant the funeral?

DRaY

This fucktard can do whatever he wants to do with his money, the shit just looks way tacky, if i was spending a that much cash it would atleast look spectacular…. that don’t look like 760K.
You give me 760k to spend in China and I am launching that old bag into space!!! TOP THAT BITCHES!!!
… I think he pocketed 2/3s of the cash to lie to his wife and used to rest for his girlfriends.

http://www.ethansenglishcafe.com Ethan

While I agree he should have done something good in her name instead, whatever, it’s not like the rich in the West do any better, rich everywhere are generally dicks with their money. Better that he spends it and puts the money back into the economy anyway…

Xiao en

Funerals are not for the dead but to help the living go on with life.

This man very much loved his mother, He also has the money to send her to the next life in grand fashion. It was HIS money to do with as he chooses.

No reason to hate because you dont have an extra 5 million laying around.

guizi

Yes, its a free society. You can use your money to buy anything you want. And you buy your reputation at the same time. This entrepreneur bought a bad reputation.

cdn icehole

Why a bad reputation?

guizi

You can see bad comments on the funeral from the above Chinese comments and foreigners comments on ChinaSmack. As this, he got bad reputation.

People make judgment about you from your behavior, remarks and also appearance. People’s judgment becomes your reputation.

Why bad? You should ask the reason to those who made bad comments. I did not write bad comment. So I am not the one you should ask, though I think I know why they make bad comments.

staylost

I really agree with your thoughts here, as an American.

We strongly believe that when we earn money, it ought to be ours to put to work as we please (the value of personal choice is highly venerated). However, we entirely reserve the right to make moral or ethical, or even just pragmatic judgments about how that money was spent. That doesn’t mean if we disagree with the use of the money we will try to stop it: they are free to do as they wish. What it does mean is that our future relationship will in part be defined by that judgment.

cdn icehole

I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what people think of me and how I spend my hard earned money. If I spent all that energy worrying about how other people think then I’ll never be able to live the life that I want.

Strangerland

Phooey, I don’t think it is bad rep at all. Face it, in the real world the weak would perish, the strong would survive. He did a “tacky” promotion of his wealth and power, but it would pay off big time when he deals with people in his businesses. He’d be richer than before the bad rep in the long run, I think. Sad as it is, in our world the righteous don’t always end up as the wealthiest of all. More often than not, the greatest men with good ethic and moral would end up lead ordinary life, away from such hedonistic lifestyle and crazy reps.
Also, there would be thousands upon thousands of people who’d be more than happy to lick his shoes he wouldn’t have to polish it anymore for life. While some percentages of people would voice bad things about this, in truth few of them would be more than happy to join the crowd frolicking the rich guy’s shoes as well. Maybe some of us won’t sell ourselves so low, but the truth is- most people would.
Bad rep? Only on the surfaces.

guizi

Strangerland

I agree. As I wrote in other comment, this funeral is for his business. i think he will be richer than before. And in real life, people go to his place to get jobs and business. Ordinary people including me are weak in front of him. But something happens to him and lose his money, he will have difficulties to get help.

Master C

He should have opened a Homeless Shelter or Food Kitchen *named* after his mother.

This is the kind of Capitalist lavishness that led to the USA becoming the bancrupt state it is today. Very un-Socialist and deserving of a CCP reprimand, in private of course.

Also if those limos are not Chinese made, ANOTHER reprimand!

CCP, how about making sure a Homeless Shelter or Soup Kitchen is built everytime a rich person’s parent passes on? The family gets their recognition, and society becomes that much more stable. Start some kind of protocol for this. Do not pander to Consumerist, Capitalist behaviour.

Waste destroys society. Capitalism is waste. Usury is a tool of Capitalism, Plutocracy (so long as there are poor/suffering) the plague upon all mankind.

Master C

This lasts 1 day. But a charitable institution (on volunteer principles) can grow and branch out in time.

Don

Everyone’s loved ones deserve decent funerals but in my view this was too much. Give me that money and i will put it to better use…

http://studio-lacosta.ch/blog/index.php/2010/03/lacosta Sarah

I think its ridiculous, and I would think he did it out of guilt because he didn’t spend enough time with her when she was alive and now its too late

Cyrus Howell

Wives come and go, but mothers are forever.

Irvin

The way I see it: you’re dead, let somebody else do the shopping.

As an atheist, big funerals really baffles me, dead is dead.

Volt

Spend too much money for just a funeral that can not guarantee for the respectfulness while other are in starvation next doors

udl..

fukin stupid 暴发户

Peye

Maybe all this was at company expence and is tax deductable. Who knows ?

bobiscool

I do not value anything more than respecting ones parents, but this, I have to say, disgusts me.

There must be another motive for this. Like showing off his wealth.

Will his mother even die peacefully with so many people looking at her funeral? I don’t think so. I certainly wouldn’t want such a large funeral. And I wouldn’t want so many people to gather around my parents, people who have no feelings for them and are just looking because of curiosity.